Piano attachment



July 30 1929- A. cHr-:RNlAvsKY 1,722,410

PIANO ATTACHMENT Filed Feb. 13, y1928 H! HHHHIH IHHHI HH HHH H HHI HH lHHH IHH lHH i HI w ww 1 w1 www s' [Il Ill l ww we' l wv I we www l www W|\|III[lllIlll/[lllllhllllllll |IH`I [Ill IT- /2 /3 '/78, J+f @j j] n f/Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES ABRAHAM CHERNIAVSKY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

PIANO ATTACHMENT.

.Application filed February 13, 1928.

This invention has to do with a piano attachment, and it is an object ofthe invention to provide an attachment to be used in training a player`in the proper positioning ot the hands with reference to the key boa-rdand in teaching the various notes ot the key board.

In accordance with the approved method of playing a piano, or like keyboard instrument, the palm of the hand is held elevated and is somewhatcupped so that the notes are struck with the tips of the fingerspointing or facing downwardly.

lConsiderable diiiculty is usually experienced in training a pupil tomaintain the hands in the proper position and to this end devices haveheretofore been proposed for engaging the players wrists or hands topositively prevent their being lowered 'from the correct position. Thesedevices have involved various parts and in most cases operate tomaterially hinder the operation of the hands.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide device applicable toa piano, or t-he like, to aid a player in developing the properpositioning of the hands with reference to the key board.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the charactermentioned which eectively accomplishes the desired results withoutdirect bearing engagement with or positive attachment to the playershands.

A further object of the invention is to provide an attachment of thecharacter mentioned7 which is readily applicable to an ordinaryinstrument key board and which is adjustable to suit various playingconditions.

It is another object of this invention to provide an attachment ot thecharacter mentioned embodying or carryingr markings, which operate toident-ity the various notes of the key board and thus aid the player inlocating the notes.

Another object of the invention is to provide an attachment of thecharacter mentioned, which does not in any way project from the piano tobe in the way of the player, and which can be applied to a piano withoutin any way marring or disiiguring it.

The various objects and features of the invention will be best and morefully under- Serial No. 253,870.

stood from the following detailed description of a typical term andapplication of the invention throughout which description reference ishad to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a typical piano key board showing theattachment provided by this invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view ot a portion et the key board showing one endot my attachment.

Fig. 3 is a view taken as indicated by line 3 3 on Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken as indicated by line 4 4 on Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the deviceoperates in training a player to hold the hand in the proper positionwith reference to the key board.

rThe device provided by this invention is intended primarily forattachment to a key board such as is used in a piano, and therefore Iwill describe the invention as applied to a piano key board; it beingunderstood that the principles of the invention can be likewise appliedto other instrument key boards. The standard or ordinary piano key boardas shown in the drawings includes a plurality of horizontally arrangedseries oi" principal keys, shown ordinarily as the white notes or keys10 and a plurality of flat and sharp notes, known as black notes or keys11. The black keys are loca-ted between the principal or white keys 10and are shorter than the waite keys so that the white keys project asubstantial dista-nce forward of the black keys. Further the black keysare raised 7ith reference to the white keys so that they projectvertically above the white keys. The black keys are spaced or grouped ina certain predetermined manner with reference to the white keys 10,however, such details do not directly concern the present invention andtherefore will not be described.

The attachment provided by this invention provides, generally, a gage orstop 12 to be arranged at the white keys of a key board, a gage or stop13 to be arranged at the black keys of the key board and meansdetachably and adjustably mounting the stops 12 and 13 on the key board.

The stop 12 to be arranged in connection with the White keys 10 ot thekey board is an elongate member such as a strip of metal or wood adaptedto extend in the direction of the key board from one end thereof to theother. In the case of a straight key board such as is found in a pianothe stop 12 is a straight member sufficiently long to extend from oneend of the key board to the other. In practice the stop 12 may rest onthe keys 10 in which case it is provided with a pad 14 of felt, or thelike, so that no noise results from the keys 10 returning` intoengagement with the stop after being operated. The stop 12 is designedprimarily to confine the playing of the keys 10 at their tip or outerendiportions. lt is therefore located forward of the black keys 11 andjust'far enough inward from the outer ends of the keys 10 to leave thetip portions of the keys 10 exposed for operation. In practice the exactpositioning of the stop 12 may be varied depending upon various factorsobvious to one skilled in the art.

The stop 13 is provided to operate with reference to the black keys 11in substantially the same mannerras the stop 12 operates with referenceto the white keys 10. The stop 13 extends over or along the tops of theblack keys 11 from one end of the key board to the other, and ispositioned so that the desired tip portions of the black keys areexposed for operation. The stop 13 may engage or rest upon the tops ofthe black keys `11 in which case it is preferably provided with a pad 16of felt or the like similar to the pad 14 above described. lt is to beunderstood, of course, that the stop 13 may be formed of a strip ofmetal, wood or other suitable material.

The mounting means provided for detachably mountingthe strips 12 and 13in the ldesired position with reference to the keys 10 and 11 preferablyincludes a mounting device or bracket at each end of the key board. lnaccordance with my preferred form of construction each mounting deviceincludes a U-shaped clamp 2O for holding the stop 12 and for engagingone of the black keys 11 and a clamp 21 for holding` the stop 13 andrformounting,` on one of the black keys 11.

The clamp 20 is provided with a holder or socket 22 to receive the endof the stop 12 and is provided with spaced side parts or jaws 23 relatedsothat they can be arranged on a black key 11 to engage its oppositesides. The jaws 23 are preferably formed and related so that they aresomewhat sprung` or spread apart upon being engaged on a black key 11and therefore grip the key so that the clamp remains in position. 1npractice the clamp 20 may be'formed of metal in which case it isdesirable to provide a pad or lining 25 of felt or the like onthe innersides Y f. the aws 23 so that they do not scratch the keys.

The clamp 21 provided for holding the stop 13 may be a U-shaped clampadapted to fit downwardly over a black key 11; it being preferred tomake the clamp so that it will lit over the 23 of the clamp 2O so 'thatboth clamps of the mounting means are carried by or engage a singleblack key. The clamp 21 is provided with a holder or socket 27 toreceive and hold the end of the stop 13 and is provided with spaced jaws23 to tit tightly over the part to carry the clamp. ln the caseillustrated in the dra-wings the jaws 23 are proportioned or spaced tofittightly ovcr the aws 23 of the clamp 20, therefore they do notdirectly engage the key 11 of tl e instrument board. lVith thisarrangement it is uimecessary to provide a pad, or the like, inconnection-with the clamp 21, and the clamp 21 aids the operation of theclamp 20 in that it engages the jaws 23 holding them tight in engagementwith the key 11.

By providing the stops 12 and 13 with clamps such as l have justcescrloed it is possibleto adjust the stops independently to any desiredpositions on the keys 10 and 11. It is'apparent that the clamp 2Oholoing the ends of the stop 12 can be located on the black keys 11 sothat the stop 12 is held in a desired-position on the keys 10, and itwill be likewise apparent that the clamps 21 holding the ends of thestop 13 can be arranged to hold the stop 13 in the desired position onthe keys 11. It is to be particularly noted that the mounting meansprovides a releasable means for attaching the stops to the instrument orkey board so that the stops can be adjusted in any desired manner andfurther that the mounting requires no screws, brackets or other deveicsliable to injure or mar the instrument.

It is well known, of course, that each note in a piano key board isidentified by means of a Vletter' and that each key corresponds to adefinite note in the musical scale ordinarily being written on aplurality of lines known as a staff. To facilitate teachof the scale ornotes and to aid in identifying the notes in the key board the stops 12and 13 may be provided with faces 30 and 31, respectively,carryingletters to identify the notes or keys or having marked on themstaffs on which are located notes corresponding to the keys. This mannerof marking the stops `is clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4 of thedrawing where it will be apparent how the staffs marked on the faces 30and 31 together with the letters make it very simple to identifythevarious notes on the key board. K Y

ln using the attachment provided by this invention it is attached to akey board in a manner such as is shown throughout the drawings, carebeing taken to position it longitudinally of Ythe key board so that themarks on the Vstops properly register with or correspond to the keys inthe key board. The attachment when once properly mounted requires nofurther attention. A person playing the instrument with the attachmentin place is forced to strike the keys l() at their outer or tip portionsand in order to play the black keys ll one must keep the hand with thepalm raised in a manner such as is shown in Fig. 4, otherwise the blackkeys cannot be reached without a very unsightly and clumsy movement.lVhen holding the hand with the palm eleva-tedk or cupped the lingerspoint downwardly in striking the keys Yl0 and can be convenientlymanipulated to strike the tips of the keys 11 without noticeableexertion and without a material changing of the position of the hand.

Having described only a typical preferred form of my invention l do notwish to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but wish toreserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to thoseskilled in the art or fall within the scope o the following claims.

Having described my invention, l claim:

l. An attachment for an instrument having a key board including a stopmember 'to be arranged longitudinally over the keys of the key boardengaging the keys, and means at the ends of the stop member detachablyconnecting the stop with the instrument.

2. An attachment for an instrument having a key board including a stopmember tc be arranged longitudinally over the keys of the key board, andmeans detachably connecting the stop with the instrument, said meansincluding clamps for engaging keys of the instrument.

3. An attachment for an instrument having a key board including a stopmember to be arranged longitudinally over the keys of the key board, andmeans detachably connecting the stop with the instrument, the

stop member having a pad engaging the keys.

4. An attachment for an instrument having a key board including a stopmember to be arranged longitudinally over the keys ot the key board, andmeans detachably connecting the stop with the instrument, said meansincluding .U-shaped clamps for en- -gaging keys ot the instrument.

5. An attachment for an instrument having a key board including a stopmember to be arranged longitudinally over the keys of the key board, andmeans detachably connecting the stop with the instrument, said meansincluding clamps for engaging keys of the instruments, and socketscarried by the clamps to hold the ends of the stop member.

G. An attachment for an instrument having a key board with two sets ofkeys, the keys of one being shorter and higher than these ot the other,a stop to be arranged longitudinally along the key board over the lowerkeys, a stop to be arranged longitudinally along the key board over thehigher keys, and means detachably connecting the stops with theinstrument.

7. An attachment for an instrument having a key board with two sets ofkeys, the keys of one being shorter and higher than those of the other,a stop to be arranged longitudinally along the key board over the lowerkeys, a stop to be arranged longitudinally along the key board over thehigher keys, and means detachably connecting the stops with theinstrument, including clamps connected with one stop and adapted toengage keys ot the instrument, and clamps connected with the other stopand adapted to engage over the lirst mentioned clamps.

In witness that l claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 2nd day of February, 1928.

ABRAHAM CHERNIAVSKY.

